Fuel atomizer



L. l. ALDRICH Oct. 15, 1929.

FUEL ATOMI ZER Filed July 5, 1924 2 Sheets5heet l, c yf,

Od. 15, 1929. L ALDRICH l 1,731,806

FUELATOMIZER Filed July 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /W /7 y 172/7 im, M

Patented Oct. 15, 1929 V UNITED STATES PnTErrr OFFICE LOYD I.. .ALDRICH, OF. PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO PREFERRED INC., 0F IPEORIA, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS OIL BURNERS,

EURL anomalia Application filed .Tuly 5,

ll/ly invention relates to fuel atomizers and more particularly to a specific means in connection therewith for draining the main fuel discharge tubethereof upon a cessation of operation of the burner.

'lhe object of my invention is in the provi sion of a specific drain mechanism in connection with a formal fuel atomizing device whereby the main discharge tube thereof is drained upon a cessation of operation of the device and thereby preventing a smoky initial fire upon the commencement of the device thereafter.

Another object of my invention is in -the provision of a specific means for preventing initial discharge of a considerable quantity of fuel that remainsin the discharge tube upon a cessation of operation, and thereby the doing away of an initial smoky nre, or

Juif. l Still another object of my invention is in the provision of a specific means for preventingthe initial discharge of a poorly atomized fuel mixture which would result in an initial smoky fire, or pun'. v

il furtherA object of my invention is in the provision of a simple valve mechanism in connection with operating portions of a fuel atomizer, for draining the main discharge tube to prevent the discharge of a poorly atomiped mixture upon the commencement of operation of the burner.

@ther objects of my invention will appear 4in connection with the annexed drawings and specifications in which lFig. l is a plan view of my fuel atomizer.

lFig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

lig. 3 is an enlarged detail of my specific mechanism for preventing an initial discharge of a poorly atomized fuel mixture.

lBig. d is a sectional elevation of the specific valve mechanism, and

l? ig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken longitudinally and centrally of the blast hous- 1924. sei-iai im. 724,543;

ing 19 of l? ig. 1 to show the inclination of the fuel discharge pipe.

The present invention is directed to a means vfor preventing the undesirable and dangerous initial puff that is almost universal upon the commencement of operation-of the conventional domestic fuel atomizer or burner.

'lhis so called domestic fuel burner as is well known in the art, is disposed in any conventional furnace and its operation is con trolled by a thermostatlocated in some room in the dwelling that is to be heated.

ln connection with my specific mechanism for preventing this disagreeable puff, ll have shown a fuel atomizer which has formed the basis of a number of co-pending applications, the main application directed to the burner per se, l9th, v1923, although it is to be understood that my present anti-puff device is adapted to be used in connection with any conventional fuel atomizer.

'llie conventional fuel tanks are not shown,

but fuel is withdrawnfrom a' container not shown, loy'a pump l0, said pump discharging the fuelunder pressure through a tube llv into a mixing chamber, or venturi 12. At means for adjusting the amount of fuel flow being shown in a conventional valve mechanism 13,.

ln view of the necessity of supplying air to fuel for complete atomization, an air pump is shown at lll. Although the present air pump is of the so called liquid t pe, nevertheless,

any type of pump adapte to discharge air under pressure might of course well be used.

. Air from this pump is discharged through an appropriate tube l5 to the above mentioned 4mixing chamber 12 whereinthere is a mixing or atomizing of the fuel. This fuel mixture is carried through the tube 16 to the main discharge tube 17 of the device, said fuel being discharged through a conventional burner nozzle disposed at a point just l`within the combustion chamber (not shown). Under ordinary circumstances an added draft member is utilized for more complete combustion and 1n the present instance, a conventional fan and housing are shown at 18, the blast therefrom passing through a conventionalating portions of my fuel atomizing device,

perhaps with the exception of indicating an 15, air muier 21,` for supplying the air pump 14. Any type of ignition means may be used including either a gas pilot or spark.

4Upon the cessation'of operation of the above described device, there will be a grado ual dying down of the electricmotor and hence the operating portions described, with the result that a considerable amount of fuel mixture will be left in the main discharge tube 17, whereupon and unless otherwise provided for, this unatomized mixture will be forced into the' combustion chamber at the beginning of the next periodl ofA operation of the burner. l

Now this mixture does not remain in the state which it had been, when blown from the mixing chamber 12 but has condensed and is nothing more than a heavy fuel. Naturally this discharge of unatomized fuel results in the accumulation lof fuel, difficult' to ignite.

When this mixture is ignited, there will be a considerable puff whichiills the combustion chamber with smoke and in some cases there being such an explosion of the gases resulting from this discharge as to blow open the formal doors in the furnace and, in some'instances, to even wreck the furnace.

As said before, the object of this invention is to drain the main discharge tube toprevent this discharge of unatomized fuel and to accom lish the same, I have located the main disc arge tube 17, in the blast housing 19, in an inclined position, (see Fig. 5) so that the discharge en'd 17 of the tube is in a slightly elevated position with the result that any fuel remaining therein, upon a cessation of operation of the burner, will drain to the rear end 17 of the tube 17 and pass into a chamber 22. i

This chamber is positioned at Jthe lower end of the pipe 16 and below the lateral duct which leads to the discharge tube 17 and serves, in the normal operation of the device, to collect any fuel that is not properly atomized and prevents passage of same to the burner; A pipe 27 leads from the bottom of the chamber 22 to the pump 14 so that the operation of the latter serves to evacuate the chamber 22. The pump 14 is of a type requiring a supply of liquid in its operation and this drainage of the chamber 22 by the pump serves to furnish the necessary supply of liquid to the pump.

The slde wall of the chamber 22 is apertured to afford an overflow outlet which is adapted to be closed by a valve 23 which engages the valve seat 24. The stem of this valve extends through the chamber 22 and is connected at 25 to a diaphragm 26 which 1s subject to pressure in the chamber 22, the arrangement being such that when the device is in operation and atomized fuel supplied to the pipe 16, there is suflicient pressure built up in the chamber 22 and against the diaphragm 26 to hold the valve 23 closed against the seat 24, while cessation of operation of the device relieves the pressure in the chamber 22 and permits relaxation of the diaphragm and opening of the valve 23.

Thus, as long as the fuel supply mechanism is in operation, the valve 23 remains closed and any liquid fuel accumulating in the chamber 22 is drawn off by the pump 14 through the pipe 27. When the fuel supplying mechanism is rendered inactive, however, the pump 14 ceases operation and in view of the inclined arrangement of the discharge pipe 17, any fuel that has accumulated therein will drain back into the chamber 22. The valve 23, however, is now open andy this fuel overflows through the valve` outlet 24 and is collected in the pan or sump 28. The duct from the muiier 21 to the pump 14, leads close to the bottom of the sump 28 and has an aperture 29 leading thereinto and covered by a strainer 30 whereby` accumulation of oilin the sump 28 is exhaustedI into the air pump.

In the above manner not only will any accumulation of fuel in the sump be taken care of but also any of the back flow of fuel in the main discharge tube will similarly be removed from the sump.

What I claim is:

1; In' a device of the class described, the combination of a' blower having a discharge duct, a fuel pipe extending lengthwise through the duct and inclined downward from'the outlet end of the duct to the inlet end, a housing at the lower end o'f the fuel pi e having a drainage compartment, and a va ve in the drainage compartment adapted toautomatically open upon interruption of the fuel supply and exhaustthe contents of the compartment.

2. In a device" of the class described, the combination of a burner nozzle, a fuel feed pipe having a drainage pocket communieating with the burner nozzle, an air pump connected to the pocket for draining the latter, and an overflow outlet leading from the pocket and having a valve automatically opening upon interruption of the operation of the air ump.

3. In a evice of theclass described, the

combination of a burner nozzle, a tube in- @lined outwardly and downwardly from the combustion zone ofthe burner nozzle, an upright fuel feel pipe having the lower end lconnected with the lower end of the inclined tube, an atomizer at the upper end of the fuel feed pipe, a housin connecting the lower ends of the said tu e and \fuel feed pipe and having a drainage compartment thereinwith which the inclined tube and upright pipe communicate, an outlet from `the drainage compartment, and a valve for said outlet adapted to open automatically upon interruption of the fuel supply.

ln testimony whereof I ax my signature. LOYD I. ALDRICI-L 

